Investigating the Potential of Hair Follicle-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HF-MSCs) for Neural Differentiation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold immense potential for regenerative therapies, primarily due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types and their immunomodulatory properties. While traditionally derived from bone marrow, adipose tissue, or umbilical cord, these sources pose significant challenges, including cost, invasiveness, and availability. Recent studies suggest that human hair follicles (HF) offer a non-invasive, autologous, and accessible source of MSCs and that HF-derived MSCs share key characteristics with traditional MSCs, including multipotency and surface marker expression. In this project we will explore the potential of HF-MSCs to differentiate into neural cell types, including dopaminergic neurons with the goal of producing a foundation from which the feasibility of using HF-MSCs in neural regenerative therapies can be explored.

Faculty Supervisor:

Melanie Alpaugh

Student:

Partner:

Acorn Biolabs

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Accelerate

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